Code: MUNK
by Austin Seville
Summary: When Simon Seville stumbles upon a strange supercomputer, he inadvertently drags his siblings into the battle of a lifetime.
1. Chapter 1

A fiery explosion, searing flames, and a roof partially collapsing; where did these things come from? Simon vaguely remembered the three events, the details escaping him. He wasn't even sure how he was involved, only that the accident had occurred early in his childhood. After his latest futile attempt at recollection, the bespectacled chipmunk sighed and continued walking. Best not to delay, he thought; he had to be back home in time for a concert later that night.

Standing a lofty 6 feet, 2 inches tall and still growing, Simon was easily the tallest of his siblings. His fur was a dark, chocolate shade of brown, and his bright, blue eyes were aided by a pair of black, circular glasses. Simon boasted an IQ upwards of 200 and was profoundly intelligent, allowing him to learn and adapt very quickly. He's no slouch when it comes to athletics, either, being the captain of West Eastman High's varsity baseball and basketball teams.

Today, the bespectacled chipmunk was working on a project for the upcoming school science fair, a competition he'd won handily the past two years. Smiling in anticipation, he rode his scooter through an old water line; the two-wheeled vehicle traversing a surprisingly clean sidewalk alongside the idle fluid. This old, rusty pipe would take him to a long abandoned factory, inside which he hoped to find some spare parts and a few wires for circuitry.

Arriving at a ladder leading to the surface, Simon set his scooter against the wall and ascended the metal rungs. Stepping out of a manhole, the bespectacled teen found himself standing on a tan, concrete bridge mere yards from the factory. The building, formerly used to make cars, was an old, decrepit structure left untouched for over a decade. Entering through an opening fitted with an overhead door, Simon used a steel cable to swing down to the ground level of the factory.

Now inside the structure, the bespectacled chipmunk began scavenging for parts. The factory was in decent condition despite peeling paint, innumerable cracks and patches of mold throughout it. Simon ignored the obvious signs of abandonment, because the machinery was still in fairly good condition. This was why he always came here; the parts were free and required minimal restoration.

As he gathered parts, Simon came across an old lift he'd never seen before. The bespectacled teen's curiosity overwhelmed his better judgment, leading him forward into the long-idle machine. Inside, it had simple controls, but required an access code for them to work. Intelligent as he was, it only took Simon a few minutes to figure out the passcode. With the lift unlocked, he pressed the down button, causing an overhead door to close before the machine began descending.

The trip downward was quick, and soon the lift had slowed to a stop. Most surprisingly, the back wall of the machine rose up, revealing a strange door with a round mechanism in the middle. The door opened automatically, revealing a dimly lit, round room with a strange terminal in the middle. There were several interconnected computer monitors and a chair, the latter of which could revolve around what appeared to be a holographic projector in the center of the room.

"Interesting..." Simon remarked, walking over to the chair. He noticed that the monitors and projector were dark, and hypothesized that the room's power source was turned off. Deciding to try and locate it, the bespectacled chipmunk returned to the lift. Going down another level, he was met with a second, identical door leading to a room containing three pods of some sort. Still lacking power, Simon decided to explore this level later.

Another trip downward led Simon to a third mechanical door, which opened to reveal a cube-shaped room. Inside, he could see cables below the glass floor, connected to what looked like a round, black and yellow cyber-pedestal. Simon knew instantly that it was a supercomputer, his jaw dropping at the sight of it. To have such a powerful machine at his disposal was a dream come true.

After closer observation, Simon found a panel on the computer that retracted, revealing a handle. The bespectacled teen pulled the apparatus, and moments later a humming sound could be heard. With the computer now running, Simon returned to the lift and ascended two floors to the terminal room. Taking a seat in the large, cushioned chair, Simon popped his knuckles.

"Now then, let's see what you've got under the hood..." he remarked, booting up the computer with a simple keystroke. The monitors and projector flickered to life, bringing up several windows and a holographic map. One window was unique, displaying the face of a chipmunk like Simon himself. Weirder still, the stranger looked as if he was inside a video game!

The teen's hazelnut-furred head and tail resembled that of a computer animated character similar to those in Pixar movies. His attire was no less virtual looking, consisting of an orange jumpsuit with black sides and a matching belt. The two colors were broken up by a mix of white and yellow lines, except on the arms which featured yellow tiger stripes. As if that weren't enough, the suit made the teen's hands look like claw-tipped paws.

"Ugh... where am I...?" the teen asked, "Who are you?" Simon glasses slipped from his nose as he recoiled in shock; he hadn't noticed the other chipmunk yet. Regaining his composure, Simon repositioned his glasses and inhaled deeply.

"My name is Simon Seville, what's yours?" he asked.

"I...I don't know... I can't remember anything," the stranger answered.

"Let me do some digging; maybe I can find some info on the hard drive," Simon responded. His fingers moved busily on the keyboard as he searched through the computer's stored data. He stopped after a few minutes, turning his attention back to his mysterious companion.

"Well, I found a few things. You're in a virtual world called Lyoko, which seems pretty consistent with the kind of stuff you see in video games. You, on the other hand... you're something different," Simon remarked.

"Different? What do you mean?" the other teen questioned.

"Well, at first I assumed you were an advanced artificial intelligence, but now I'm not so sure," Simon answered.

"Damn right I'm not an AI!" the other teen roared, glaring at Simon. The bespectacled chipmunk scooted backward a few inches.

"Calm down, please! What I'm trying to say is that you don't have a source code, or anything else an AI would have for that matter. It's like you're a real chipmunk trapped inside a video game!" Simon explained.

"Well, I'm not an AI, so that must be the case," the stranger responded, still a bit frustrated.

"I suppose so. Anyway, I think it's best if we come up with a name for you; it'll make things a little easier on us," Simon suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea. Got any suggestions?" his companion questioned.

"Hmm... how about... Andrew?" Simon responded.

"I kinda like that," the stranger commented, smiling.

"Andrew it is," Simon confirmed, "Now, let's get you out of there; look for a door or something."

"That's the best you've got?" Andrew questioned.

"Hey, I'm not very familiar with this stuff; give me a break," Simon replied defensively.

"Sorry, I guess I'm a bit eager to get out of here," Andrew apologized, looking around, "I don't see a door." The teen walked towards the edge of the round room he stood in, if you could call it that. Andrew stood on a circular platform which filled nearly the entire floor space and resembled a strange eye. Said platform stopped short of the wall, however, revealing a bottomless pit below.

(A/N: This is the platform seen inside the towers. It's hard to describe in words.)

There were two spots where the circle extended, however, forming bridges to the wall. Andrew walked onto one, reaching out to touch the strange surface in front of him. When the teen's hand made contact, ripples spread out across the wall like it was made of water.

"What the-?" Andrew gasped, "Simon, I may have found something." Simon looked up from the supercomputer equivalent of a My Computer window just in time to see Andrew slip through the wall. The teenage chipmunk stepped out the other side of the wall, now in some kind of forest. Looking back, he found that he'd just come out of a large tower.

"Hmm, a tower... why don't you explore this place; see what else you can find. I've got a few files to look through," Simon remarked.

"Alright, Einstein, you got it," Andrew responded. While his chipmunk friend explored, Simon dug through some interesting files detailing the use of the scanners in the room below. Apparently, they could be used to send people to Lyoko, which would explain Andrew's presence in the virtual world. The bespectacled chipmunk was also looking into a strange program called "Return to the Past".

* * *

Frantic screaming, flashing lights and strange men in suits. It was a scarring memory from Theodore's childhood; the source of his first nightmare. To this very day, however, the reason for it all escaped him. He knew now that the men were firefighters, but still had no idea why they'd been at his house. Sighing, the young chipmunk let his thoughts drift as he returned his focus to the matter at hand.

Theodore- Simon's fraternal twin- had just changed out of his workout clothes after a long jog. The formerly chubby chipmunk had made being healthy a habit, and now he had a trim, new look to show for it. His short height of 5'10" and bright, green eyes went unchanged, however, so fans still called him the "Theodorable" one.

Preparing for the concert scheduled that night, Theodore showered and thoroughly brushed his teeth. Pulling on some concert-appropriate clothing, he took a quick look in his bathroom mirror. Making sure that his light, brownish-tan fur was styled neatly, Theodore headed off to find his siblings. The chipmunk teen started off by checking on his closest brother, Simon.

Arriving at the bespectacled teen's door, Theodore looked into his brother's bedroom. Alas, Simon was nowhere to be seen, which was very odd this close to a concert. The young chipmunk was always on time for everything; this wasn't like him. Concerned, Theodore left the room and hurried to the next door down, entering the bedroom of his older brother, Noah.

* * *

Confusion; that was Noah's reaction when he arrived at his new home for the first time. The members of his adopted family all exhibited strange behavior for the first month or so after he arrived. Clearly, they were hiding something, but he dared not ask about it. No, instead the four year-old remained silent, hoping day after day that things would change. Eventually, they did.

Noah, now 16, pushed aside his thoughts as someone knocked on the door. Turning off his PS3- he'd been playing DC Universe Online- Noah straightened his lime and forest green hoodie as he stood up. The thick, cotton garment was emblazoned with the classic Green Lantern logo, making its wearer's favorite superhero obvious. Dusting off his jeans, the brownish tan chipmunk made his way over to the door.

"What is it, Theodore?" he asked as he revealed his younger sibling.

"Simon is missing, and the concert is only a couple hours away. I'm worried..." Theodore explained. Noah's eyes widened; this wasn't right. Simon was always on time for everything, so why would he go missing like this?

"You're right to worry, Theo. Let's see if Charlene has seen him," Noah responded. Nodding, Theodore followed his brother down the hall.

Even after 13 years, Charlene still couldn't believe just what had happened that fateful day: a tragic, scarring accident that would change her life forever. It was why she'd become who she was now, and was the reason she acted so protective of her brothers. Charlene remembered every second of that day, but never spoke a word about it. This silence, which she'd thought would help her cope, instead ate slowly away at her conscience.

Pushing the memories to the back of her mind, Charlene looked up from the TV show she'd been watching. The hood of her black and purple t-shirt slid off as she sat up; her black, spiked belt temporarily exposed. Charlene's black skinny jeans wrinkled as she climbed off her bed; her black Converse squeaking as they met the floor. Brushing aside her short, dark hair- with purple highlights- she reached for the knob on her bedroom door.

"Hey sis, have you seen Simon?" Noah asked immediately.

"Not since this morning. Did you check his room?" Charlene questioned.

"He's not in there; that's why we came and got you," Theodore responded. His sister was shocked.

"He's missing with only two hours before the concert?" she exclaimed worriedly, "We've got to find him!" Charlene quickly turned off the TV and grabbed her phone, eager to find her missing brother. Before she could move another muscle, however, something stopped her.

"Charlene!" Theodore cried, a fearful expression etched on his face. His sister was lifted feet first into the air, her seemingly-possessed hair dryer wrapped around her ankle. The DVD player came to life as well, attacking its immobilized foe. As if that weren't enough, both devices had a mysterious, glowing logo on them that none of the teens had ever seen before.

"Help, do something!" Charlene cried. Thinking quickly, Noah slid beneath his sister and yanked the dryer's cord out of the wall. Disconnected from power, the device immediately fell limp. Freed from her ensnarement, Charlene drop kicked the DVD player into the wall, destroying it. Picking up the remains of the appliance-turned-robot, Theodore turned to his older sister with a worried look.

"Simon's missing before a concert and we're being attacked by appliances. Could this day get any weirder?" he questioned.

"I don't know, but we really need to find Simon," Charlene responded. Her brothers nodded in agreement.

"He's been working on his science fair project lately; we ought to check the old factory," Noah suggested, knowing his brother's habits.

"My thoughts exactly," Charlene replied.

* * *

"I'm not finding much of anything, Simon. Having any luck there?" Andrew asked.

"Well, I've figured out a few things, and now I'm taking a look into this strange device I found. Perhaps- with a few modifications- it could be of great use," Simon answered.

"Glad to hear it, Einstein. Hey, this tower looks different..." Andrew responded. As he took in the strange, red glow around the structure, a laser suddenly whizzed by his head. "Shit!" Andrew dove behind a rock as more lasers flew by, then ran back towards the other tower.

"What's going on?" Simon asked worriedly.

"I'm being attacked!" Andrew exclaimed as he ran. Simon almost dropped his headset.

"What is this place?" The bespectacled chipmunk's shock doubled at the sight of his three siblings entering the room. "Simon? What's going on here?"

"Uhh..." Simon balked. As Charlene began questioning him, Theodore began to look around. Curious, the green-clad chipmunk climbed down the ladder to the room below, and looked inside one of the pods. No one noticed this action; the other three teens focused on the interrogation. As Charlene inched closer to his face, Simon stumbled whilst fending off her questions, landing on the keyboard. A muffled scream was heard from the room below, and then there was silence.

"...what just happened?" Charlene asked aloud. Simon gulped.

"I think Theodore just got sent into Lyoko..." he announced fearfully. The three siblings turned to the monitors, which showed two images of the virtual world. One was Andrew, the mysterious chipmunk fleeing from a slew of laser fire. The other was Theodore, now clad in a green, gold and black jumpsuit with a matching sleeveless trench coat. The youngest chipmunk sibling also held a hammer with a short handle; a strap protruding from the end.

"Guys, what happened to my clothes?" Theodore asked, looking down at his new attire.

"I think that just happens whenever you're virtualized," Simon explained, "I don't know how or why, though." Remembering his friend's current plight, Simon hastily typed in Andrew's coordinates and sent them to his brother. "Theo, head to the coordinates I just sent you and see if you can help Andrew!"

"Who's Andrew?" Theodore asked as he began walking.

"He's a chipmunk like us who's trapped on Lyoko," Simon explained, "He's being attacked, so I'd hurry if I were you." Nodding, Theodore quickened his pace, running through the forest towards Andrew's position. He quickly arrived, finding Andrew attempting to outrun several creatures in the shape of elongated skulls on mechanical spider legs. The strange monsters were firing red lasers at him from a strange symbol on their heads.

Brandishing his hammer, Theodore swung at one of the monsters and crushed it. The monster disintegrated in an explosion of data, attracting the attention of its comrades. Andrew stopped as the monsters diverted their attention to Theodore, preparing to fire at their new enemy.

"Get out of there!" Andrew shouted, mortified. Theodore dove to the side, dodging a flurry of lasers.

"Thanks for the heads up!" Theodore responded.

"No problem! Follow me; there's a tower we can hide in!" Andrew replied, running off. Nodding, Theodore followed his mysterious companion through the forest. The monsters gave chase, however, firing lasers at their fleeing foes.

"They're gonna hurt Theodore!" Noah remarked worriedly. His anger soon got the better of him, though. "Simon, send me in!" The bespectacled teen balked as his adopted brother darted down the ladder to the scanner room. Sighing, he turned back to the supercomputer and prepared to send the teen to Lyoko.

"Scanner, Noah. Transfer, Noah. Virtualization!" Simon remarked. With that, Noah appeared inside the virtual world. He was now clad in a black, spandex jumpsuit with green boots, gauntlets and armor on his shoulders, back and chest. A glowing, white circle was seen on his chest, appearing carved out of the armor while leaving an 'N' inside it. To top it all off, there was a familiar-looking green ring on his finger.

"Woah, I'm like a Green Lantern!" Noah exclaimed.

"Great; fly on over to Andrew and Theodore so you can give them a hand!" Charlene barked Ignoring his sister's impatience, Noah focused his powers and began flying. Simon sent him Andrew's and Theodore's coordinates, so he immediately headed that direction. A quick flight later, Noah slowed over the aforementioned chipmunks as they continued to evade lasers.

"You two alright down there?" he asked.

"Aside from the crabs chasing us, we're fine!" Theodore answered sarcastically.

"Correction, kankrelats," Simon interrupted, "They're in a database I found, written by someone named Jeremie."

"Interesting; perhaps this 'Jeremie' knows more about Lyoko..." Andrew responded, curious.

"Maybe he does," Simon concurred, "That aside, you're almost back at the tower. Once you're inside we can come up with a strategy." Glad to hear that his marathon-like run was almost over, Andrew managed to slightly quicken his pace as the tower came into view. Glancing back at the persistent little monsters, he sorely wished he had some kind of weapon with which to fend them off. Suddenly, his hands and wrists were surrounded by the outline of something virtualizing around them.

To everyone's shock, a pair of black, fingerless gauntlets with yellow markings appeared on Andrew's body. Each gauntlet had three glowing circles over their wearer's knuckles, which gave the chipmunk teen an idea. Looking back as he ran, Andrew made a fist and aimed it at the middle monster of the trio. Suddenly the the gauntlet fired three laser arrows; the projectiles homing in on the monsters' eye-like symbols.

"What did you just do?" Charlene asked as the arrows pierced through and destroyed the monsters.

"I don't know, but we should save the chatter for later!" Andrew responded. Nodding in agreement, Noah and Theodore followed their virtual friend towards the tower. Soon they stepped inside the tall structure, promptly taking a seat on the floor.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm beat..." Theodore huffed.

"I'm just glad we're all safe," Noah responded. Andrew nodded in agreement.

"Simon, what's the plan?" he asked, breathing heavily.

"Well, I want to take a look at Charlene's DVD player before we do anything else," the bespectacled teen responded, "Give me a few minutes." The three virtual teens nodded in agreement as Simon began inspecting the crushed device. Charlene answered a few of her brother's questions as he did so, leading him to one conclusion.

"Well, if what Charlene says is true, I think her DVD player and hairdryer were possessed by whatever controls those monsters in Lyoko," Simon announced.

"Hey, is there anything about it in that database you found?" Andrew questioned. Simon's eyes lit up, and his hands immediately began flying across the keyboard. Silence hung in the air like fog as the bespectacled genius scanned several pages of data before looking up. Charlene, who had also seen the database entries, put a hand to her mouth as it sunk in.

"You guys aren't gonna like this," Simon warned, "We're dealing with an extremely powerful A.I. called X.A.N.A. that's capable of launching attacks in the real world." The others gasped.

"W-What kind of attacks?" Theodore asked, scared.

"It can manipulate computers and electricity, and… even possess living things…" Charlene answered hesitantly. The others gasped.

"On the bright side, Jeremie also left us a clue," Simon announced, "X.A.N.A. launches these attacks by activating a tower within Lyoko. We just have to deactivate it to stop him." He then let out a nearly inaudible sigh. "The only problem is that Andrew is the closest thing we've got to Aelita; the only person capable of doing so. That, and if he _is_ anything like her, he'll die if he's devirtualized." Andrew's eyes widened in horror.

"Wait… if X.A.N.A. possessed my hairdryer and DVD player, he must have already activated a tower!" Charlene remarked, "We've gotta deactivate it before he does something else!" Simon's eyes widened in horror.

"She's right! We've gotta find that tower, and fast!"

* * *

"Honey, it's time to leave for the concert! Get the kids!" Dave ordered as he headed for the door. The house remained strangely silent, however, and soon Vinny entered the foyer in shock.

"Dave, they're gone! The kids are gone!" she exclaimed worriedly. Dave's eyes widened in shock; surely that wasn't true!

"G-Gone…?" he sputtered.

"I checked everywhere; there's no sign of them!" Vinny confirmed. Dave swallowed hard as the severity of the situation sank in. After a moment, he handed Vinny his keys.

"Take the car and start looking for them. I'll call the police," he instructed, dialing 911. An operator answered almost immediately. "...yes, I'd like to report a group of missing minors."

As Dave fed the police information about his children, Vinny rushed to the family's Ford Explorer crossover. Driving the vehicle crazily in her haste, she began searching the neighborhood for her kids. The police arrived shortly thereafter, joining the search effort. Standing in his office back home, Dave ran his fingers through the fur atop his head. He wasn't sure what had happened, but he sorely hoped his kids were okay.

* * *

"Simon, I don't want to go back out there!" Theodore protested.

"Calm down, Theo, I'm coming in to help," Charlene responded, "Simon, get ready!" The bespectacled chipmunk nodded as the strong-willed female headed for the scanners. Bringing up the virtualization program, Simon sent his sister into Lyoko. His hands soon busied themselves with the wrist-mounted computer he'd found, pausing only to send Charlene the others' coordinates.

Charlene, on the other hand, looked over her new virtual attire. It was a spandex jumpsuit that was primarily a dark, slightly faded purple. The suit was a strange mix between futuristic and samurai themed, with a lot of dark gray on the side and around the shoulders. Charlene also sported black boots and fingerless gloves; the whole outfit topped off with a pair of sharp, dangerous swords.

"A girl could get used to this…" the teen remarked, pleased with her appearance.

"Glad to know we won't hear you complaining," Simon toyed.

"Oh shut up," Charlene shot back, rolling her eyes. Without further ado, she headed towards the tower that held the others. Thankfully, the trek was short, so it wasn't long before she joined her brothers inside the tall, virtual structure.

"Charlene!" Theodore cried instantly. The female chipmunk smiled as her youngest brother smothered her with a hug.

"Theodore..." she remarked, giving him a squeeze.

"Not to be rude, but if everyone's here we'd better get started," Andrew cut in.

"He's right. Simon, where's the tower?" Noah asked.

"Sending you the coordinates now," Simon answered. Receiving said coordinates, the other four chipmunks exited their safe haven and headed for their target.

"Remember, the active tower will be glowing red, literally," Simon remarked as he continued his work. The others nodded in acknowledgement, their focus remaining on the path ahead. Soon they could see the faint outline of the structure in the distance, a red glow surrounding it as expected. Suddenly, they were attacked; several kankrelats appearing in front of them. Theodore quickly lost his patience with the crab-like creatures.

"Will you leave us alone already?" he roared, swinging his hammer and destroying one. Another jumped back, catching its attacker's eye. "Get back here!" Theodore shouted, pointing at the creature with his hammer. Suddenly a lightning bolt struck the kankrelat and it exploded.

"Woah, copying Thor much?" Noah questioned.

"I don't even… what?" Theodore sputtered. Clearly he had no idea where the lightning had come from.

"Theo, you're like Thor! You can fly and attack with lightning," Simon explained.

"Oh…" Theodore replied, understanding. Spinning up his hammer via its strap, the usually quiet teen began hovering off the ground. "Well then, let's end this fight!"

"What he said!" Charlene added, brandishing her twin blades. Simon could just imagine heroic music playing as the four chipmunks on his screen charged towards the tower.

* * *

Vinny sighed as she pulled her otherwise empty Ford into the driveway. Where were her children? Hurrying inside, she found Dave speaking with a couple of officers. Their conversation ended abruptly when Vinny embraced her husband.

"Have the police found anything?" she asked.

"They found some footprints and tire marks. It looks like the kids went to some abandoned factory," Dave answered.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Vinny cried, heading for the door. Dave hesitated, but soon followed his wife outside. He just hoped the kids were okay.

* * *

As the four teens neared the tower, the kankrelats were joined by monsters known as krabs. These tall, reddish creatures could only be destroyed by piercing the emblem on their topside. Naturally, Theodore had no trouble with them, but they were a real pain for the others. Almost finished with his project, Simon watched as the group came within 10 meters of the tower.

Then, however, inexperience and a trio of krabs led to their downfall. Several kankrelats appeared and devirtualized Theodore as he took out the first large monster. The little pests then prevented Charlene from destroying the second one and attacked Andrew while Noah defeated the third.

Noah was defeated by the second krab, however, leaving Andrew alone. Simon watched tensely as the teen subdued the remaining krab before the kankrelats blasted him towards the edge of the grassy platform. Acting on impulse, Simon activated the wrist computer and slid it onto his arm. Wasting no time, he used it to send himself into Lyoko.

Simon virtualized just as the kankrelats fired another round of lasers. Pulling a high-tech, steel bow off his back, Simon fired a trio of arrows at the creatures. The kankrelats were destroyed, but one of their shots had hit home. Simon pulled a special arrow from his quiver, firing it at the edge of the platform as he jumped off.

The grappling arrow hit its mark just as Simon grabbed hold of Andrew. Pulling them both up onto solid ground, the bespectacled teen let out a sigh of relief. His virtual friend remained frozen for a moment, his mind still reeling from his near-death experience. Simon, who had yet to release his virtual companion, gave him a firm pat on the back.

Giving his friend a moment, the teen genius looked over his new attire. Simon was now clad in a navy blue, spandex jumpsuit with a black belt. He also wore a black combat vest, matching boots, black fingerless gloves, and-along with his metal bow- a high-tech quiver. Pleased with his outfit, Simon turned his attention back to his still-stunned friend.

"You alright, Andrew?" he asked. The virtual teen snapped out of his daze.

"Yeah; thanks," Andrew answered, "Come on, let's get inside before more monsters show up." Suddenly, lasers whizzed past their heads.

"Speak of the devil!" Simon cried, "Get down!" The two chipmunks dropped to the ground, dodging another volley of shots. Jumping back to their feet, the teens hightailed it towards the tower. Within moments they were safe inside the confines of the structure.

"You guys alright?" Charlene asked as she and her brothers exited the scanners.

"I have a headache now, but otherwise I'm fine," Noah answered.

"Same here..." Theodore added, rubbing his temples.

"Sorry…" Charlene replied, "Come on, let's head upstairs." The three siblings climbed up the nearby ladder and into the now-vacant terminal room.

"Hey, where's Simon?" Theodore questioned. Wondering the same thing, Charlene stepped over to the terminal and was shocked to see Simon on the screen. Everything became clear when she spotted the wrist computer on his arm. Before she could tell her brothers, however, the lift opened and several people rushed into the room.

"Charlene, Noah, Theodore! Oh, thank God, you're alright!" Vinny cried, pulling her kids into a group hug.

"Hey, where's Simon?" Dave questioned, noticing the teen's absence. Before anyone could answer, the police looked at the terminal.

"Hey, who are these kids on the screen?" one officer asked. Dave hurried over, his kids frozen in fear. Charlene cringed at her father's inevitable gasp.

"That's Simon!" he answered, shocked, "I don't know who the other guy is, though." The police were taken aback; how could someone get inside a computer like that?

"If this thing's sucking people in, we need to shut it down," an officer stated.

"No! My brother's in there!" Charlene protested. The officers ignored her until Dave stepped in, sparking a full scale argument between the Sevilles and the police.

As if that weren't enough, X.A.N.A. decided this was the perfect time to attack. Large cables previously attached to the supercomputer rose up and attacked the terminal room's occupants. The three kids were hoisted into the air, and the police were electrocuted before they could respond. Dave and Vinny looked on in horror as their children's lives dangled before their eyes.

* * *

"Alright, how do I deactivate this thing?" Andrew asked.

"I'm not sure…" Simon responded. A scream alerted him to some kind of chaos back in the real world. "We'd better hurry, though!" Nodding, Andrew stepped further into the tower. Surprisingly, the white rings on the platform lit up as he stepped forward, coming to a stop in the center.

"What's going on?" the teen asked. Simon shrugged.

"I don't- whoa!" Andrew had begun to rise upward, so Simon grabbed his hand to pull him back down. Shockingly, the teen genius began levitating as well. In a matter of seconds, the two were placed gently on an upper platform in the tower. A holographic computer interface was floating in the middle of said platform, its screen blank.

"What's this?" Andrew questioned, walking over. Before Simon could say a word, the virtual teen had put a hand on the interface. Suddenly the screen lit up, displaying a name and then "Code: LYOKO". All the little holographic panels on the tower's walls cascaded downward before suddenly shooting back up to their original positions. "What just happened...?"

"I think you just deactivated the tower, Andrew!" Simon answered excitedly.

"Great!" the teen responded, "But my name's not Andrew."

"What?" Simon questioned, "What do you mean?" 'Andrew' explained what he'd seen on the screen when deactivating the tower, and how it brought a few memories to light.

"My name is Austin," he concluded.

* * *

Just when all hope seemed lost, the cables suddenly clattered to the ground, sparking lifelessly. The three weary teens ran back to their parents, relief washing over the family as they embraced. Worried about her brother, Charlene separated from the group and returned to the terminal.

"Simon? Did you deactivate the tower?" she asked. Her face appeared on the virtual interface, surprising the two virtual chipmunks.

"I think so, Charlene," Simon responded.

"Good, now get out of there, because you're all grounded!" Dave interrupted. Simon sighed and looked down at his wrist computer.

"Sorry, dad, I can't do that," he replied hesitantly.

"What?" Dave sputtered, "Simon, what are you doing?"

"Return to the past now!"


	2. Chapter 2

Simon Seville roused slowly, feeling like he'd just come out of an extremely deep sleep. He shot straight awake, however, when he realized just _where_ he had awoken. Standing up, he glanced around the factory's secret terminal room before looking down at himself.

"Whoa... this can't be right…" he murmured, "Perhaps…" He concentrated on his clothing, and suddenly it returned to normal. "Better. I'll keep this to myself for now…" The bespectacled genius then entered the lift and headed home.

* * *

Back at the Seville residence, it was now morning on the day of the teens' crazy, virtual adventure. Noah, Theodore and Charlene gathered at the kitchen table with their parents, just in time for their brother to walk in with two boxes of doughnuts. Simon wasn't normally this generous, but the pastries were the perfect excuse for his being out of the house so early. Naturally, they were devoured within minutes of their arrival.

Soon, Dave had left to start the day's work, and Vinny had gone to get groceries. With no one around to hear their conversation, the four teens assembled in the living room to talk about the recent events.

"So… does everyone remember what happened yesterday?" Charlene asked. Simon cut in before anyone could answer.

"You mean today," he corrected, "We returned to the past, remember?" Charlene face-palmed.

"Whatever," she continued, "Does everyone remember?" A round of nods.

"So, what are we going to do about this?" Noah questioned. Simon hesitated before answering.

"We _could_ shut down the supercomputer, but… I want to get Austin out first," he responded.

"Well, we know how to stop X.A.N.A's attacks now, so we can hold him off until then," Theodore suggested. Simon breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay; I'll get to work on the materialization program ASAP!" he promised. Simon immediately headed off to the factory, while the others went about their day normally. He was able to use some of Jeremie's notes for the program, and made good progress before heading home for the concert.

* * *

"Guys, I've got some news," Dave announced as the family of 6 left the house, "A top music critic is coming to the show tonight, so bring your 'A' game." Despite trying their hardest, the teens were extremely nervous. It was almost as bad as starting their careers over again; even Simon slipped up, and that was unheard of.

Sleep did not come easily that night; the teens' thoughts focused around the critic's impending review. Theodore had a nightmare in which he was kicked out of the band, and wound up sleeping with Noah the rest of the night. The review aired on the Today show the next morning, and the whole family gathered to watch.

"Overall, I was impressed by the musicians' talent, although one stuck out. Their bass player was very rigid, and his playing seemed a bit rusty. That, on top of the bass' already mediocre sound, resulted in a cacophony," the critic commented, "My final rating is five out of ten stars; needs improvement."

Needless to say the Seville's were shocked by the man's words, and Noah was hurt deeply. Having already felt inferior to his siblings, what little confidence he had was now dashed. As he fled to his bedroom, Charlene followed worriedly after him. By the time she caught up, he was buried within his bedsheets, crying.

"Noah... it's okay," Charlene spoke softly. She took a seat on her brother's bed and coaxed him out of the sheets. "You're a great bass player, no matter what that guy says." It was then, with the siblings vulnerable, that X.A.N.A. struck. Theodore, who was on his way to aide Charlene's efforts, was suddenly ensnared by cords from within the walls. Hearing his screams, Noah ran into the hall to confront the menace.

Charlene entered the hall moments later, just in time to see Noah draw his pocket knife. It was a sharp blade that easily sliced through the possessed cords. Theodore fell harmlessly to the ground before wrapping Noah in a tight hug. The elder sibling rubbed his brother's back, and helped the teen calm down. Once everyone had calmed down, the teens hurried to the factory to stop another one of X.A.N.A's attacks.

Arriving at the factory, Simon slid into the computer chair as the others headed down to the scanners. A few keystrokes later, the bespectacled genius was the only one left in the real world. Austin met the others outside a tower while Simon tracked down the one that had been activated. Within moments he had located it, sending his friend and siblings the coordinates.

"The tower is in the ice sector," Simon remarked, "You'll have to use another tower to change sectors." Charlene raised an eyebrow.

"How, exactly?" she questioned. Simon was silent for a moment.

"You have to jump off the platform and fall into the abyss," he explained, "You'll end up in another tower within a different sector." Although hesitant to do so, the teens jumped off the tower's main platform one at a time. They were quickly transported to another tower that, luckily, was in the ice sector of Lyoko. Exiting the tower, the group headed towards the one X.A.N.A had activated to start his attack.

"This is a heck of a walk!" Austin complained after a while. Simon sighed, looking into some of Jeremies notes.

"I think I can spawn you some vehicles; hold on," he offered. Within a few seconds, he spawned a hoverbike and hoverboard. Noah and Theodore continued to fly, while Austin, and Charlene rode the bike and board respectively. With their increased speed, the teens- or Lyoko warriors, as it were- made quick headway towards the tower. They met no resistance until their vehicles came within 30 seconds of the active tower.

Then, however, they were intercepted by a horde of kankrelats and two krabs. Theodore and Noah dispatched the krabs while Austin and Charlene defeated kankrelats in rapid succession. Soon their enemies had fallen, so they were able to get closer to the tower. However, the warriors were intercepted by new monsters as they drew near. The horde of small, flying bugs were hornets, Simon explained, and the large, gray one a tarantula.

"These hornets are easy enough, but that tarantula…" Austin remarked, shooting down a trio of hornets, "He's really tough!" The statement rang true, as the four-legged monster's dual arm lasers were deadly. Charlene was devirtualized trying to get closer, and Theodore was caught from behind. With only himself and Austin left, Noah suddenly found himself in a position of extreme importance.

"Noah, you've got to beat this guy, or I'll have to come in," Simon implored him, "You've got a better shot than I do; it's all on you!" Noah took a deep breath and focused. Back on Earth he may have been called a poor bassist, but here… he was a warrior. Working with Austin, he used his ring to shield them until the other teen was close enough to take a clear shot at the tarantula's head. Just as they came within range, a strange creature appeared.

It was a white, four-legged animal with several teal markings on its body. There were some at the base of its tail, alternating between light and dark, and a few more light stripes at its end. Its right front and left rear legs had markings as well, light teal with darker stripes, while its other two feet were completely dark. Its ears were tipped with dark teal with two lighter stripes below, and a light teal streak ran up from its green nose.

The creature's belly was light teal too, along with its left eye. The right was a darker color, but matched in appearance. Its last defining feature was a line of fluffy, green fur that ran down its spine to the tip of its long tail. Strangely, it appeared to be made of metal. A locket colored in green and both light and dark teal hung around its neck. The most shocking thing, however, was that it calmly distracted the tarantula using the mirror in the locket.

The monster became entranced by its own reflection, allowing Austin to line up his shot perfectly. A controlled, precise burst of three laser arrows hit dead on target, piercing the eye of X.A.N.A on its head. The monster was instantly destroyed and the strange, second creature closed it's locket before looking up at the two warriors with a smile. It quite resembled a dog.

"Hey, that's a Mirlaket!" Charlene remarked, walking up. She and Theodore had just returned from the scanners.

"Mira-what?" Simon questioned, raising an eyebrow. Charlene face-palmed.

"Mirlaket," she repeated, "I saw them on a mythical creature show. They're mainly predatory, but can bond to some people." Simon did not like the use of 'predatory' to describe the creature, immediately becoming wary.

"Careful you guys, that thing might not be friendly," he warned. Noah wasn't convinced.

"I heard what Charlene said," Noah countered, "The locket is closed now, so I don't think we have to worry." Simon sighed.

"Just go to the tower, please," he begged. Nodding, Noah led the way to the tall, tan structure. Austin stepped inside first, followed by his two accomplices. Noah and the Mirlaket watched as Austin stepped into the center of the platform, the rings lighting up as he passed. Soon he was lifted onto the upper platform, and again placed his hand on the terminal.

"Austin; Code: LYOKO," the screen read. The tower reacted the same as before, being successfully deactivated. Austin returned to the lower platform, meeting up with Noah again.

"Alright, attack stopped. You did great, Noah," he remarked. The would-be Green Lantern smiled.

"Thanks, I kinda needed that," he admitted, "Simon, let's turn back the clock." The bespectacled genius nodded.

"Got it," he replied, "Return to the past now!"

* * *

It was now early on the morning of the review, and Noah was ready to sit through the critic's hurtful words again. Now, however, his self-esteem had been boosted and he cared not what the man said. He was surprised, however, to see the show receive a caller when the remarks were spoken again. He had not seen this the first time around. As it turned out, the man on the line was none other than Geddy Lee, bassist for the band Rush.

"I don't know who gave you approval to say stuff like that, but if you can't respect the bass, then I can't respect your reviews." The words were heard across the nation; the critic's reputation ruined while the band's was saved. The rest of the day was fairly normal: Charlene helped Noah improve his skills on the bass, while Simon worked on Austin's materialization program. For the time being the latter remained incomplete, but Simon hoped that soon it would be done.


	3. Chapter 3

Late one night, Noah was returning to his room from a nice, hot shower when he came across Simon returning from the factory. The tall, lanky teen appeared quite excited, but his adopted sibling couldn't tell why. Curious, he stopped the bespectacled genius between their rooms.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" the irishmunk asked, "You seem excited." Simon took a moment to compose himself.

"I found a sort of cyber-shortcut that will help me finish the materialization program by tomorrow," he explained, "I really hope it works!" Noah blinked in shock; the program was supposed to take another month of work beforehand! However, this supposed shortcut had him a bit skeptical, because he had never heard of computer stuff working that way.

"That's great, Simon," Noah encouraged anyway, "I hope it works out." His brother smiled.

"Thanks."

* * *

Early the next morning, Noah was headed to third period english class, after which he would have his daily, 30-minute lunch. As he neared the classroom, he noticed a tall, chipmunk girl heading his way that he hadn't seen before. Just then, she stumbled on someone's foot and fell forward; her stack of textbooks slipping from her hands. Thinking quickly, Noah slid and caught the books as the mystery girl regained her footing and composure.

"T-Thank you!" she stuttered, blushing at the sight of him. Noah handed over the books, making sure she had a good grip on them.

"You alright?" he asked, concerned. The girl smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, just tripped over someone's foot is all," she assured him. Noah smiled, relieved.

"Good," he replied, "My name's Noah; I haven't seen you around here before."

"I'm Jeanette; my family just moved here," she explained, "Today's my first day of class. Say, do you know where D221 is?" Noah's eyes widened.

"Yeah, that's my next class!" he responded, "Come on, I'll show you the way."

* * *

Charlene had been hearing chatter nearly all day about Noah and the new girl being anything from cute to lovebirds to 'MFEO'. Coincidentally, she and Jeanette wound up in the same P.E. class seventh period. Seizing the opportunity, Charlene took the girl aside in the locker room for a moment to make her presence known.

"Just so we're clear, if you hurt my brother, I'll hurt you." she promised. Jeanette nodded in understanding; the shy, bespectacled teen wondering if she had bitten off more than she could chew. Charlene noticed the girl's uneasiness, but believed it was all an act. After all, how in the world could anyone be such a nervous wreck all the time?

Simon summoned his siblings to the factory early that afternoon, less than an hour after school He had completed the materialization program using the new shortcut, and was ready to bring Austin into the real world. The others gathered in the scanner room as the genius twin compiled and ran the finished program. Austin steeled his nerves in preparation.

"Here we go…" Simon spoke, taking a deep breath. Noting that the program was running successfully, he left the terminal and quickly slid down the ladder to the scanners. Simon stepped through the small crowd just as the middle pod opened to reveal Austin, clad in a bright, orange hoodie, black jeans, and matching sneakers. Simon noted a scent comparable to cinnamon, and blue-gray eyes that were even more amazing than before.

"Snap out of it, loverboy." Charlene's comment brought the bespectacled genius back to reality just in time to stop him from drooling. Austin suppressed a chuckle, and the others snickered in amusement.

"Sorry," Simon apologized, "I didn't mean to stare. There's just so many details I couldn't see in Lyoko." Austin blushed in embarrassment.

"I'm flattered, but can we put the focus on something else now?" he begged. Charlene was quick to respond.

"Yeah, like what are we going to tell our parents?" she questioned. Simon sighed.

"I don't know," he admitted, "I want to take Austin somewhere; you guys think about it while we're gone." Charlene gave a hesitant nod, dismissing the two teens. Austin and Simon took the lift upstairs, leaving the factory. Heading off through the forest, they came across a large hillside facing a beautiful stretch of the horizon. Simon lay down in the soft, lush grass and motioned his crush to lie alongside him. Soon, the two were soaking in the sunset.

"The view is amazing, Simon," Austin remarked, smiling, "Thank you for sharing it with me." The bespectacled genius smiled back.

"I'm glad you like it," he replied, "I've been wanting to share it with you." The chipmunk teens went silent, holding hands as they watched the sun dip slowly below the horizon.

Back at the factory, Charlene and her siblings prepared to return home. As she checked the supercomputer to ensure all was well, Charlene could hear Noah talking his little brother's ear off about Jeanette. It was clear that he cared deeply for the girl; perhaps she'd been a little harsh in her judgment of the two. Maybe there was such a thing as being _too_ protective…

"What is that thing?" Theodore cried suddenly. Charlene's ears perked up.

"I don't- Ahhhh! HELP!" Noah responded. Darting away from the terminal, Charlene slid down the ladder to the scanner room to find her brother being strangled by a bundle of cables! This was a real predicament, as neither she nor Theodore had anything with which to cut the teen loose. Charlene mentally wished she had her virtual swords; she would cut those cables to pieces easily! As if on cue, the twin blades appeared on her back just like in Lyoko.

"H-How did you...?" Theodore sputtered. Charlene glared at the cables.

"I don't know," she admitted. Unsheathing the blades, she reduced the cables to thick, silicon sushi. Noah picked himself up off the ground, and immediately wrapped his sister in a hug.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" he remarked. Charlene hugged her adopted brother back as he shook fearfully in her arms. Never had she seen Noah so shaken by something, and never had she regretted her actions so much.

* * *

Austin could not believe how different things were in the real world compared to Lyoko. Now, he could feel the wind in his fur, smell the flowers nearby… and hear a phone ringing next to him. Simon pulled out a rather large, white device, swept his finger across it, and then put it up to his ear. His expression was indicative of sour news.

"We'll be back in a flash," the teen promised, hanging up. He turned towards Austin. "Bad news; X.A.N.A attacked. We've got to go back to the factory." Austin let out a sigh.

"Alright, let's go..."

* * *

Minutes later, the five teens were reunited by the supercomputer terminal. Simon took a seat in the chair, and began preparing for the ensuing virtualizations. However, he stopped short when he spotted something on one of the screens. His glasses almost slipped off as he sunk down in the seat, petrified. Charlene was quick to come to his aid.

"What's wrong, Simon?" she questioned. The chipmunk Einstein hesitated.

"Austin still shows up on the supercomputer, and still has life points," he explained, "What's worse, they're depleting at a rate of about one per minute." The announcement was met with several shocked gasps.

"I have to go back, then," Austin responded, "For who knows how long." Simon's head drooped.

"I can't believe I failed…" he muttered. Charlene placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Simon," she consoled him, "I'll handle the virtualization; you two go down and say your goodbyes." Simon nodded, leading Austin down to the scanner room. The orange-clad chipmunk stepped into the middle pod, frowning.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way," Simon apologized. Austin managed a meek smile.

"It's fine, Simon; I know you'll get it right next time," he assured his friend. Charlene warned them that she was starting the program that would return Austin to Lyoko for God knew how long. The two male teens were silent for a few moments, staring into each other's eyes as they awaited the inevitable. Then, at the last second, Simon could hold back no longer. He leaned forward, and managed to meet Austin in a brief, chaste kiss.

Separation came so soon it was as if they'd never come together. The pod closed moments later, separating the two newly revealed lovers. A thin smile graced Simon's lightly flushed face as he headed upstairs, reclaiming his place at the terminal. Charlene led her other two brothers downstairs; the new relationship kept a secret from them all. Repeating the same keystroke thrice, Simon send the trio to Lyoko once more. Then, he turned around and let his gaze fall sullenly to the floor. Much to his surprise, he received a visit from the Mirlaket.

"What do you want?" Simon asked, annoyed. The creature cocked its head, looking up at the chipmunk genius curiously. "...sorry, I'm not in the best mood right now," he apologized, "You gonna go help them?" The white, blue and green creature before him gave a small nod, and turned to leave. Stopping, it looked back at the teen genius. Simon's voice this time came out as almost a whisper. "...keep him safe, will you?" The Mirlaket gave the subtlest of nods before turning and vanishing completely from sight.

* * *

"There's too many of them!" Theodore cried, striking down as many hornets as he could. His lightning attack was having a hard time keeping up, however.

"Seconded!" Austin added, wondering just how many laser arrows he had left. Charlene grumbled to herself; it's not like she could do anything about it. This was especially true being that she and Noah were pinned down by a krab anyway. Suddenly, to the surprise of all four warriors, the Mirlaket appeared in the middle of the entire battle. It let off a powerful wave of energy from the green, metallic fur on its back, destroying the hornets with ease.

"Nice! TIme for fresh cooked shellfish!" Theodore remarked. Spinning up his hammer, he shot over to his trapped siblings and struck down the krab with a quick bolt.

"Thanks for the assist," Charlene spoke gratefully. Austin held back a chuckle.

"Assist? That's what you call it when he saves your ass?" he questioned. Charlene rolled her eyes. Suddenly, the witty banter was interrupted by Theodore getting blasted by a massive laser attack, devirtualizing him immediately. Ducking behind rocks, the three remaining teens were surprised to see a creature that resembled a giant, metal sphere. The creature quickly revealed more of itself, its shell splitting into two, precise halves and revealing a cannon.

"Duck!" Austin cried, but it was too late. Charlene, Noah and the Mirlaket were blasted into the digital sea as their cover was destroyed by the laser. Austin dashed away, trying to avoid further attacks. "Simon I'm on my own-!" he started, but the Mirlaket appeared out of nowhere in front of him. "Scratch that, the Mirlaket is still here!" For the first time in minutes, Simon's eyes fixed upon the screen and he managed a reply.

"Get to the tower ASAP; you're less than a football field away," he instructed, "The monster is a megatank, and if Jeremie is right, a one-shot killer." Austin gasped, increasing his pace. Bobbing and weaving, he dodged the monster's incessant laser fire until it timed a shot such that he was unable to avoid it. Shockingly, the Mirlaket jumped up and reflected the laser back with its locket mirror, destroying the powerful enemy.

"Thanks; I owe you one!" Austin admitted. The Mirlaket just smiled as they arrived at the tower; Austin stepping inside to deactivate it as usual. In seconds, the mission was complete, and the warriors had saved the day again. As he prepared to turn back time, Simon promised himself that he would complete the materialization program the right way.

"Return to the past now!"

* * *

Charlene walked silently through the halls of Albert Einstein High, avoiding any contact with others on her way to gym. As she began dressing out for class, she again noticed Jeanette and all the chatter going on about the girl's relationship with Noah. Jeanette noticed her this time, and eyed her boyfriend's sister warily. Charlene opted for a different route than before, responding with a wink. Jeanette smiled, and, for a short time, the world seemed at ease.


	4. Chapter 4

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

* * *

It was a wonderful day for baking. With the Christmas season in full swing, Theodore had made some gingerbread men he hoped to share with his family. Dave, however, was off working at the record company, and both his mom and sister were shopping for gifts. Not easily deterred, Theodore headed down the hall and knocked on Noah's bedroom door. The devout teen did not answer, but could be heard mumbling stuff about Jeanette. Being that it was just past ten, Theodore assumed he had not woken up yet and let him be.

Heading down the hall, he stopped at the end in front of a door left ajar. Peeking inside, he could see Simon typing away on his computer. The bespectacled genius was obviously doing some work on Austin's materialization program, so his fraternal twin opted not to disturb him. Left alone, Theodore frowned and returned to his treats in the kitchen. Wasn't the baby of the family supposed to get the _most_ attention?

With a sigh, Theodore wrapped the warm cookies in a towel before sealing them inside of a small container. Grabbing his jacket, the young teen ventured outside the safety of his home. Heading through the forest, he made his way to the manhole that led to the factory. Riding his scooter the rest of the way, he soon found himself in the terminal room. Taking a seat in the large chair Simon could oft be found in, he turned towards the many screens before him.

"Theodore? What are you doing here alone?" Austin asked, seeing the teen. Surprisingly, the teen frowned.

"No one would spend time with me at home, so I wanted to see if you could hang out…" he explained. Austin rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"You do realize I'm stuck in Lyoko," he reminded his friend. Theodore nodded.

"Simon got you out for a little while the other day," he countered. Austin nodded hesitantly.

"Yeah, but that method is very risky," he noted. Theodore nodded in understanding.

"I just want 30 minutes," he promised, "I even brought cookies!" Already feeling bad for what his friend had gone through, Austin gave in and allowed Theodore to use the bad program to bring him to Earth. The two headed out to the nearest park, taking a seat on one of the wood and metal benches. Theodore pulled out his gingerbread men.

"You make these yourself?" Austin asked, trying one. The baked treats were 'to die for' as the saying goes. Theodore smiled proudly.

"Yeah, I'm a really good cook," he answered, "So I've been told, anyway." Austin finished his cookie before speaking.

"I agree," he remarked, "These are really good." Theodore blushed.

"Thanks," he replied. Austin frowned as he remembered why they were in the park to begin with.

"I'm sorry no one paid attention to you earlier," he apologized, "I hope this makes up for it." Theodore smiled.

"It does," he promised. Just then, his phone went off, and the caller ID showed Charlene. A short call later, Theodore was quite pale. "X.A.N.A is wreaking havoc at the grocery store!" he announced, "We've got to get back to the factory!"

The two teens were back in the terminal room in minutes, far ahead of the others. Theodore sent Austin back into Lyoko, and then Austin used a tower terminal to bring his friend in, too.

"Alright, Theo, things are in your hands for now," Austin remarked as they prepared to leave the tower, "You ready for this?" The green-clad chipmunk nodded.

"I'll get you to the active tower, promise," he replied. The two set off, fighting through a thin crowd of kankrelats and hornets before nearing the base of the structure. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a tarantula appeared. This would complicate the task.

"The eye of X.A.N.A is on its head! You've got a better shot, Austin!" Theodore remarked. His virtual friend let out a sigh.

"Yeah, but I can't aim with him bearing down on us!" he replied. Theodore furrowed his brow.

"I'll distract him! Line up the shot!" he instructed. Austin did just that, taking his best aim as Theodore drew the monster's fire. A burst of three arrows from his right arm defeated the creature once and for all. Rushing forward, the two warriors made it into the tower before more monsters could arrive. The structure was deactivated in 15 seconds flat.

"Nice job, Theodore," Austin remarked, coming down from the upper platform, "I think I can activate the time reversion program from the terminal up there; you ready?" The green-clad teen nodded.

"Yeah," he replied, "Thanks again for being here, Austin." The orange-clad chipmunk gave his friend a one-armed squeeze.

"No problem," he responded. Turning, he was carried back up to the top of the structure. A few keystrokes brought up the necessary program. "Return to the Past now!"

* * *

Despite living the day a second time, Theodore opted against changing the outcome. Rather, he packaged up some cookies much the same as before, and headed off to meet Austin. The teen wanted to spend some more time with his friend, for more reasons than one. Of course, he wanted to strengthen their relationship, but there was more to it than that. Theodore could not shake a strange, nagging feeling that Austin was more than just a new friend.


End file.
